Alone
by maroongrad
Summary: Abraham is not a kind master, and the soldiers are not respectful. Alucard is trapped, nearly broken after more than a year of constant abuse of every kind, and then he gets a helping hand. Meant to be a one-shot, the writing Muses had other ideas.
1. Chapter 1

This was supposed to be a one-shot but I ran out of oomph before I finished it. I'll try to wrap it up tomorrow. It'll be two chapters long. This was inspired by Death In The Orchard's recent story (excellent as always) describing Alucard's introduction to the troops. Mine is similar in its setup in terms of how they interact; Abraham is rutheless and merciless in dealing with the vampire, Alucard hides his emotions, the men distrust and hate him and do not respect him. It's along the lines of "Evil" and can almost be considered as a follow-up to that, except the vampire isn't that broken. He's subdued, dispirited, and very limited in how he can rebel...but he's not entirely broken. This is set not too long after he begins to hunt with the troops, probably less than a year after his own capture

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Alone Chapter 1

Red eyes watched from an impassive face as the men stepped down from the coach, weapons ready in their hands. A few tossed scornful looks and taunts in his direction, but the vampire ignored them, entirely unmoved by the display. His Master was the last out of the conveyance, and a quickly-hidden flash of hate was visible before the vampire's face regained its blank display.

"There is the church where the vampires are believed to be. Take perimeter positions, shoot to kill if you see something." It was a repeat of directions given before they'd left the grounds, with the only change being the indication of the where the church was. Well-practiced, the baker's dozen of soldiers fanned out to surround the church in groups of three and four, weapons ready. Since the vampire had joined the hunts, it was unusual for any of their prey to escape its talons and be shot, but it could happen, and they were ready.

With an approving nod at their positioning, Abraham strode to the church, tossing a curt "Heel." back at the vampire. Silent and expressionless, the vampire ghosted behind him into the church.

x x

There were three vampires, another small family, and well-established from the age of the coffins. This was no young, uncontrolled, foolish group of undead, located due to their obvious predations and lack of sense. This...was a family. They'd been here for decades; a coffin did not attain that patina of age in any less time than that. Even the newest of the trio of coffins was not new, the wood long since aged to lose the odor of all but dust. If any of the vampires was less than a decade old, he'd be quite surprised. How had Abraham found them? Had a human acquaintance betrayed them? He longed to ask his Master but had learned to stay mute and obedient or face his wrath.

The best he could do was offer them a quick death. Not taking him on hunts had led to an unacceptable increase in the number of ghoulings and deaths; Abraham was forced to use him. Months of pretending to be lost in a blood-haze, unable to prevent himself from killing his prey, had convinced Abraham that it was useless to try and bring back a live vampire to study if Alucard was present.

That little victory had been worth every bit of agony from what disobedience he could manage. While Abraham still sometimes was able to obtain a subject for his "studies" it had been months since he'd done so, and Alucard's ears had been blessedly free of the screams of terror and agony as Van Helsing "studied" them. Tonight, he'd deny Abraham the pleasure of a research subject yet again, though it pushed him deeper into despair to destroy this little family. He had few qualms about destroying the careless, the loud, the greedy, those controlled by their lusts and desires. Honestly, he had no qualms, and had done his share of hunting them centuries before Abraham had captured him. No worthwhile vampire hesitated to kill them, out of disgust or self-interest. But this family...

His thoughts were cut off as a blur erupted from an alcove to his left. Faster than he could think, his hand flashed out to stab the vampire. If he'd paused, at all, to consider his action, the controls Van Helsing had enslaved him with would have stopped him, left him writhing in pain. He was expected to capture them when possible. But the controls required him to consciously disobey, and by releasing his actions to instinct and reflex, he could circumvent that. As long as Van Helsing wasn't aware that it was deliberate, he wouldn't forbid it. And so the male vampire was left on the floor, twitching briefly, eyes wide in shock, before crumbling into dust.

Alucard waited, staring at the dying male, as long as he could. It was a delaying action, both by the male in the attack on him, and in his pause to confirm the death. The remaining two vampires were given a chance, albeit slim, to escape.

"Move on." Abraham's brusque command compelled his reluctant feet into action, though as always he kept emotion from his face. A slow, steady predator's stalk, entirely unnecessary, gave his prey yet more time to escape. He could sense them, an older one nearby, just past the doorway, and a young one upstairs, frantically circling from window to window, trying to find an escape route where the soldiers outside would not see her. As the oldest vampire had done, the remaining one was trying to buy time for the youngest to find a means out of this trap. Cleverly, too; Alucard privately approved of her tactics as he realized what she intended to do.

The vampiress raced out of the dark to the side, flashing past, barely visible to Abraham...and on the opposite side of the man. Attacking her would mean going through Abraham, and the controls prevented that. A slight grin lifted the corners of his mouth, invisble to the human in the gloom. If she was that clever, she posed a threat to his Master. And he had to protect the man...it took precedence over the hunt. A few swift steps placed him between his Master and his prey, and in that time, she had flashed to another corner of the room. So quick, this one! And intelligent...it hadn't taken her long to realize that he was protecting the man, or that he was more than powerful enough to have destroyed all three of them in moments. He was delaying...and she would help.

A chunk of wood flew out of the darkness, and at the last possible moment, he batted it from the air in front of Abraham's head. Another, and another, came out of the darkness. Back to his Master, Alucard indulged himself in a wide, proud grin. He'd have to destroy her in a few minutes, there was only so much delay he could manage...but she was an excellent example of his species, and while he grieved to hunt her instead of wooing her, her quick actions made him proud.

"Dammit, Alucard, what is it doing?" Abraham's angry voice pushed the grin from his face, and Alucard forced himself to answer in a dead, emotionless voice, as had been beaten into him as "proper" for his new position.

"She's attacking you. You can't see her in the dark." Another projectile, a clasp covered in verdigris from an ancient coffin, slapped out of the air to clang on the wall beside them. "She's staying out of reach." Red eyes tracked her movement, as Abraham fumed. "Her aim is excellent. If I leave your side, you'll be injured." Hardly. He was more than quick enough to catch her before she could throw again, but Abraham couldn't know that, couldn't know that, while faster than a human, the other vampire was not particularly quick for a vampire.

"Hmmf". Abraham was nothing if not decisive. "Escort me to the stairs. Then capture her immediately. You will have one minute. She must be alive." Turning, the man strode to the stairs, fully expecting that his vampire would continue to shield him. After all, thought Alucard sourly, what choice did he have?

As soon as Abraham's boot cleared the last step, Alucard turned to his prey. He wanted to weep. She was clever, fast, fully in control of herself...and he'd be forced to listen to her scream and weep and beg for death for days until Abraham's "tests" finally exceeded her limits. But he could not resist the orders, and Abraham had been very clear, not giving him time to plan a means around them.

But she was clever, this vampiress, no fool. Holding a shard of wood ripped from a coffin, she braced herself, ready to fight...briefly. She'd seen him ordered about, heard Abraham's command, could see his misery in his eyes as he moved towards her, his pity for what would be done...and she could sense his strength. Within two steps, she'd turned the shard of wood towards herself, and thrust it into her own heart.

"Impressive." was the only thought that had time to cross Alucard's mind before his failure to follow directions and capture her brought him to his knees in pain. He refused to scream with the hunters in earshot, was determined not to give them the pleasure, and as white bursts flashed in his eyes as he twisted in agony, his jaw stayed clenched shut. A minute passed, part of another, and just before he could no longer bear it and was ready to shriek his pain, the heavy boots came down the stairs. Abraham stared at his as he writhed helplessly on the floor, then a heavy boot cracked against his ribs.

"Stop. Wait." With that release, the pain ended, leaving his gasping for unneeded breath and staring blindly at the wall. The footsteps moved away from him, the lantern brightened, and Abraham cursed quietly as he found the pile of dust. The steps returned as Alucard recovered, fighting himself to stop the shudders that were the aftershock of the agony. "Explain."

It took a few gasps before he was able to answer, his voice cracking and weak, humiliating him further. "Suicide...the wood...as you left."

"Hmmf." Abraham stood silently beside him, waiting until he could move, then walked away. "Heel." Alucard forced himself to move, knowing the pain that would result if he didn't, and scrambled after his master on hands and knees. It was humiliating to crawl, to be so weak, to appear to grovel, but it would be worse to experience that pain again for not obeying. Abraham didn't look back, his only concession to his vampire's weakness to slow slightly going up the stairs.

By the top of the stairs, Alucard's thoughts had cleared and the shock of the pain had worn off enough that he was able to pull himself upright. "Wait here." Abraham's orders were not for his benefit, the man had no mercy for him, no concern...but were only because it was time for Master to debrief his soldiers. He was put aside like any other unneeded tool for that duration.

The men gathered around at Abraham's summons, delivering their quick reports. Yes, they'd seen it, it had exited through a small back window, screened by a bush. They were proud of seeing the bush move, of recognizing what was happening, of acting so quickly to fire and destroy the beast. They had every right to be proud, for the vampire had been clever and stealthy. Alucard watched impassively, grieving inside while his dull red eyes stared blankly forward, ignored by the men now that his job was done. 


	2. Chapter 2

This is it! And this is why I didn't finish it last night...too dang long!

Alone, part 2

Alucard twisted about, hands over ears, pressed into the corner. It didn't work, nothing worked, he could still hear it. It hadn't been that long ago that he'd been on that exam table himself, nights and weeks of torment and pain. Master had captured a vampire that day, probably taken it while it slept, and was now investigating its abilities. The shrieks did not affect the man, only telling him how effective some tool was at damaging a vampire, what parts of the body were most sensitive, showing him how quickly and how often a vampire could heal and regenerate ruined tissues, reattach a severed limb or organ. It did affect Alucard, bringing flashbacks of his experience, grief and a sick helplessness to save Van Helsing's victim. He rarely cared about the test subject; most were violent, unstable, unworthy, barely more than animals. This one...Abraham had somehow managed, again, to locate an older vampire instead of a newborn. A true vampire, worthy of the name, decades old and perhaps approaching a century from what remained of the agony-tinged aura. A comrade, not a cockroach.

Another tight, choked scream drove him to his feet, pacing and fretting and moaning. Master knew how such things affected him and no more cared than he'd care about whether the rug wished to be walked upon. Hugging himself tightly, Alucard considered options. Upstairs, he might be able to get far enough away that he'd be unable to hear the torture, feel the aura and its pain. He couldn't leave the house, no, not even to step outside...but it was a large building.

But upstairs were the soldiers. They weren't allowed to physically damage him with silver, holy items, or similar things, but he was forced to obey them. And they were...creative...in their abuse. He'd quickly learned to stay hidden away in the dark basement, ears plugged and frantically humming to himself to block out their demands that he come to them. Sometimes they'd find him anyways, force him to crawl out, spend a few hours humiliating and abusing him in any fashion they wished so long as he was still physically intact and able to do Abraham's bidding. He'd gone to Abraham to beg for some sort of reprieve, only to have the man look at him coldly for a few moments, then turn back to his work.

What was worse...which of two terrible options were his? It was late, perhaps the men had given up on waiting for him? Perhaps he could sneak past them, find a hiding place in a closet or behind a door, and avoid them? He simply could not bear this any longer. Eyes blinded and blurred by unshed tears, he staggered out, stumbling up the stairs.

He could not hear them, but his ears were still filled by the wails and screams of the vampire on the dissecting table, and a soldier could be next to him and undetected. Dark, the hallway was dark... Taking a chance, Alucard darted out, racing to the servants' staircase and slipping into it as silently as he could. No hue and cry was raised, and the staircase was dark, unlit, uninhabited. He crept up them, trying to listen for pursuit as the soldiers indulged in their favorite nightly game of Get The Vampire To React, or vengeful abuse as they used him as a stand-in for the vampires that had killed their fellow soldiers.

The second floor was filled with the muffled sounds of soldiers amusing themselves. A card game, perhaps a few in the billiards room, the clatter of one in the mess hall having a late snack, he didn't care as long as they didn't see him. Still too close to the basement, screams still too audible...he crept farther up the dark staircase. With luck, he could make it to the third floor and to the attic door, then into the attic, though he doubted the door was unlocked and accessible to him. He'd managed to hide there a few times before racing to it once and finding it locked. The soldiers behind him had laughed at his frustrated shock and dismay before pulling him away from the immobile door and pushing him to the ground. Third floor, the soldiers' residence, but also the access to the attic, lay behind the closed door at the top of the staircase. Trembling, he pressed his forehead against it briefly, listening carefully and gathering his courage to creep to the attic.

Too late. The door behind him opened, a soldier stepping onto the stairs, likely planning to return to his own chambers. In the flood of light from the doorway, he looked up...and saw Alucard at the top of the stairs.

Before he could speak, Alucard had pulled the door open, slipping gracefully through it, hoping that the man had not seen him clearly, not realized what he'd seen.

It was a false hope as he heard the cheer behind him, the calling of the hounds to chase the fox. Booted feet echoed on the floor below him, began to pound up the stairs, as he darted towards the attic door. Locked, it was locked, rebounding from his tug to rattle briefly against its latch. Any moment now, they'd shout at him to come to them, and he'd have to do so. Frantic, his eyes darted about, and he raced from door to door, rattling them as he turned knobs. Locked, locked, locked...OPEN!

With a whimper, he darted in, closing the door behind him, turning to look for a hiding place.

The candle was lit by the bed. And a soldier, leg in a cast, was in the bed, book in hand, looking right at him.

Alucard's spirit fell, crushed, defeated. Shoulders slumping, he forced an impassive look on his face, silently waiting for the others to arrive.

x x x

Sam had been bored to near tears in his bed. The last hunt he'd been on, they'd successfully destroyed three vampires in a church's crypt; his own shot had likely been the fatal one for the vampire that had attempted to creep out the window and away. And then the damn horse had spooked and kicked him went they'd reached the manor. Abraham had warned them all that animals were spooked by the vampire Alucard's presence, but he'd thought he was well out of range of a hoof. He'd thought wrong and been laid up with a broken leg for most of a week. Van Helsing had said it would mend well, but mending took time, and he was to stay off his feet entirely with both the lower leg bones broken. If the pain wasn't making him dizzy and unfocused, the medicine Van Helsing gave him was. He'd been fighting to read a book, some uninteresting little treatise on the colonies, and his entertainment had arrived!

The flash of malicious pleasure vanished as quickly as it had appeared and he felt a dash of shame for it. He'd not been raised to pick on the poor and helpless. If a dog went mean, you shot it, you didn't torment it first. Murderers were hung for their crimes, and soon, not paraded about as a target for the abuse of the townspeople. It had been amusing, at first, to watch the vampire suffer until that mask of disinterest and aloofness cracked, but it had quickly paled. It was like bearbaiting, not a fair fight at all, and the vampire was simply helpless. While most of the others enjoyed tormenting the beast, he was one of a quiet few that simply withdrew when the games began.

A glimpse at the filthy, tattered, broken beast, and he reached a decision that would have surprised him only a few minutes before.

"Get under my bed, vampire. Don't move or make a sound, and do not respond to their orders." The moment of frozen surprise was almost too long, but at the sound of boots and raised voices in the hall, the vampire darted across the room and slipped fearfully under the bed. A moment later, and the door opened, revealing the clean-shaven, handsome, grinning face of a sergeant.

" 'ow's the leg?" The jovial inquiry was entirely at odds with the quiet room and the distraught vampire under his bed, but Jack seemed entirely unaware of the discrepancy and his question was full of good-natured concern. Except for his treatment of Alucard, he was a good fellow, and Sam found himself smiling back.

"Mending. Not so swollen today. Think Van Helsing will take me out with you tomorrow?" A shout of laughter from Jack and a few unseen comrades in the hall greeted his sally. Inside, Sam hoped that the dim lighting from the single candle and the darkness under the bed would shield Alucard from their view.

"Glad to hear you're mending. You need something, you let us know. P'rhaps a girly book?" A lecherous glint in the man's eye drew another smile and a chuckle from Sam, but the knowledge of what they would have happily used the vampire for caused the smile to fade. Jack noticed, but attributed it to fatigue and pain. "You're feeling poorly, I can see. We were looking for the vampire, it was on this floor, found the door unlocked and thought it might have scampered in here."

Forcing a calm smile to his face, Sam shook his head. "With me in here? Not bloody likely. Check the attic door if you don't find him soon. If he got it open, he's clever enough to lock it back behind him."

"Nah, we're not wanting to spend the time looking for it. We have other things we'd rather be doing. We'll be seeing you later." With a pleasant nod, Jack began to leave. The door was almost closed when he pushed it back open. "Ah, since you're laid up as-is and needing a bit of entertainment, would you like us to send it up to take care of you when we're done? A bit of relief might relieve the pain in your leg for a bit!" Shaking his head with a half-smile on his face, Jack made shooshing motions with his hands.

"I'll pass on that for tonight, thank you. Would you do me the favor though of keeping the noise down? It's making my head ache a bit."

"Sure, we'll be doing that. We'll take it downstairs once we catch it anyways, you shouldn't hear a peep of us." With a casual wave, Jack left, door clicking closed behind him. There was a rumble up and down the hall of boots, then they gathered and stopped and someone shouted for the vampire to come. Normally, this would result in a cowed vampire slinking up to them within a few minutes...but not tonight. A louder, angrier shout, hushed quickly by the others out of concern for Jack's head, and the creaking noise of the attic door opening, followed by booted feet thundering up the steps and a few muted whoops of playful anticipation.

More calls for the vampire, and Jack whispered firmly, "Don't you dare go to them. Stay right there." Outside the room, the friendly jesting and anticipatory tones were quickly fading to annoyance and demands. They'd planned to enjoy the vampire, having early on noticed its long tongue and total obedience and inability to hurt them. Those factors, combined that with the absolute lack of female companionship and their own powerful urges as young men, had quickly determined their favorite game with the beast. With more than a dozen men, it could go on for hours. Unable to make a polite excuse and vanish, Sam himself had found himself the focus of the more experienced soldiers in his first week there, cheered on and encouraged and pushed forth to take his first go with the vampire, first in line in honor of his first experience. To his embarassment and extreme pleasure, he'd found out for himself just why it was their favorite game when available. The blank and broken look of the vampire's eyes above its busily moving mouth had hurt something inside him, though, and he'd never returned for a second go.

Tonight, at least, he'd try and spare the vampire. Perhaps it was the pain medicine making him soft and sentimental; it wasn't as though the vampire was unaccustomed to its role in the household or that it did any real damage to the beast. Abraham had ignored it except to remark that the vampire was needing less blood and to confirm that it was being "fed" another way, then leaving them to their games. Yet...he just couldn't.

x x x

He shivered, eyes clenched tightly shut as he heard the men talking above him. His cover was so barren, so inadequate, at any moment the men would look down and see him...but they didn't. And they left.

He'd forgotten they could not see in the dark. The room was well-lit to him, but with a single candle, the bed floated over a black abyss to them. They called him, and he stirred, having to respond, forced to go to them...only to have himself commanded differently by the man above him. Two commands at odds...but one was before the other. And he could choose, somewhat...and it took precedence. Grateful for even the short reprieve, he remained hidden and silent, hearing the doors in the hallway open and close, the angry grumbles of the frustrated men. The noise moved downstairs, each bedroom swept for a hiding vampire, each door opened, the attic tromped through and searched. Each hiding place was well-known and quickly inspected, and found empty. Soon the steps moved downstairs as they began to search in the basement, some of them giving up the game and returning to previous pursuits, simply biding their time until the vampire was found. As the hall silenced, the man above him stirred.

"Stand up where I can see you." It had begun. At least it was only one man for now, though he'd be forced down to the others afterwards. Greedy man, stealing time with the vampire for his own satisfaction...but at least it was only one. Shivering, trying hard to keep his body still and face closed, Alucard pulled himself out and stood upright, eyes staring at the wall, trying not to see the man in front of him.

x xx

Sam frowned to himself. The vampire was a mess. Filthy, scrawny, hair matted and begrimed...it was even beginning to smell! He had no problem with it in his room, but not in that condition. Fortunately for them both, it was a large and well-furnished house, and Van Helsing had not scrimped on the comforts of his soldiers. An attached bathroom featured a small but private tub. He'd get the vampire clean and then decide what to do with it.

"Take off your clothes." A near-invisible wince at that, and Sam quickly continued. "You'll be taking a bath. You smell, vampire. Take them off, put a few inches of water in the tub, and clean yourself up." If an expression could be seen in the vampire's face, it might have been puzzlement, but as always, it was dumb obedience that showed. The reeking pile of tattered rags fell to the floor and the vampire vanished into the bathroom. "Leave the door open and light the candle." He had no real interest in watching a naked male clean himself, but also was curious and wished to observe the vampire. Already, he could see layer after layer of scars and damage. Some were old, some were pink and half-healed. Sam frowned to himself...vampires healed almost any damage immediately. What could have caused this? The answer followed right on the heels of that question. Van Helsing, of course. The nights when the beast was unavailable were the nights when the doctor was working with it. It seemed likely that the doctor had found some way to slow the natural healing of a vampire's wounds; it would be very useful indeed in battling the beasts.

This beast had no fight in him to battle. It stood, slumped and weary, staring blankly at the water cascading into the tub. It was unmoving, a statue, and Sam actually startled a bit when it came to life again, reaching over to turn off the water and climbing into the tub. It was fascinating to watch, the dull expression slowly lifting as the vampire discovered his soap, his shampoo, the washcloth lying on the edge of the tub waiting to be used, even the brief inspection of the brush. As the vampire began to obediently and, it appeared, gratefully scrub the filth from its hair and body, Sam smiled and relaxed back into his pillow.

The vampire delayed the length of its bath, whether out of enjoyment, a need to clean every bit and speck of dirt off, or simply prolonging the time before he'd have to return to him, Sam had no idea. But after nearly half an hour of waiting, he found himself starting a second candle on the guttering remains of the first and snapping at the vampire to finish his bath. The sounds turned back to running water and the splashing of the beast as it rinsed off. Watching it, Sam saw the water streaming down its back from its hair. Initially a smudgy cloudy soap-and-dirt gray, it was soon washing clear with each cup of fresh water. Again and again the cup filled and lifted, and more and more soapy, dirty water sluiced off. The noise ceased, and the vampire simply sat again, eyes staring blankly at the wall in front of the tub.

Sam sighed. The poor beast was near mindless. It was possible that it was just forcing him to give commands for every little action, the only form of rebellion open to it...or it was so broken that it needed those commands. Having seen its clever hiding and avoidance of the troops, he suspected rebellion. Well, there was no cause to rebel here.

"Rinse out the tub, I'm sure it has a great ring of grime on it, and wipe it out with the flannel. There are towels on the rack behind you. Take one and dry off." Obedient, the creature rose, swishing fresh water about the tub, and running the flannel over it. The washcloth was so filthy that Sam realized the vampire may have just fouled the tub again, but Alucard was already rinsing it again. The porcelain body, marred with the scars of half-healed pink incisions, twisted gracefully to pluck up a towel and dry itself. Even the hair was mussed about in the towel, dampness pressed out of the tangled mass. Sam quickly reached another decision as the vampire left the bathroom and reached towards the pile of dirty clothes.

"No use putting those on, you'd just get dirty again." A cringe...being forced to parade about naked was one of the many ways it had been humiliated and broken. "We're of a size, and I've more than enough worn and patched clothes I won't be missing." True enough, life as a soldier was hard on clothes, as hard or more so than farming had ever been. A few tattered shirts had been kept as night shirts or as extra layers against winter's cold, but there was no reason the vampire couldn't have one. Abraham kept them well clothed and from the look of it, the clothes the beast had been wearing had been cast-offs from the soldiers to begin with. There wasn't much to distinguish it from the shirt he'd be giving the beast other than the filth! Same with pants. The vampire's old pants had barely stretched past his knees, and a knotted rope had kept them from slipping off the bony hips. The old pair of his pants, that he'd intended to cut up to make patches for the others, would do nicely.

The vampire stared at him blankly, waiting. "Go to my wardrobe, open the drawer. There's a pair of pants at the bottom, badly worn. Take those out. Hanging behind the coat are two shirts, also worn out. Choose one and dress yourself." As the vampire moved to obey, Sam wondered if he should provide any undergarments. No, the vampire hadn't had them to begin with, only the bare basics of a single layer of fabric to preserve what decency a monster could have and to give it the illusion of humanity.

Clean and dressed, the vampire stood before him, gazing at nothing with one dull red eye, a matted hank of hair falling into the other. Well, he'd cleaned it this far, might as well finish the job. "Get the towel, scissors, and comb from the bathroom cabinet, bring them to me, and pull the chair up to the bed. I also need the candle from the bathroom, there's not enough light from this." The vampire complied with less hesitation this time, more willingness, as the time passed and Sam continued to not abuse him. It was heartening to see. Clearly, it suspected what was planned, for without being asked it placed the candlestick on the nightstand, turned the chair, and sat in it, back to him, patiently waiting.

A haircut, then. He'd trimmed his own untidy mass a few times, and his brothers' hair far more often than that. There was a cringe as he lifted the dense mass, but the red orbs rolled to follow the movements from the corners of its eyes and there was a spark of...anticipation? Smiling reassuringly, Sam lifted the scissors. "Face the wall across from me and hold still, I don't want to cut you." He watched the vampire relax slightly as he gently lifted the tangled mass and draped the towel over its shoulders. Such a mass, such a mess...it would be best to simply cut it all away. Not a short haircut like the soldiers, no...but clearly Abraham had not put any effort into grooming the beast in the time it had been in his control. A few snips, and the first large tangled hank fell to the floor. Again, and again, and again, and the vampire's head drooped slightly as it relaxed more and more, the weight of the wet locks vanishing as they fell to the floor with faint moist impacts.

It was truly a mess. Had the vampire been alive, it would have been crawling with lice and fleas. As it was, the mass was tangled, but clean and uninfested. Before long, each tangled chunk had been removed to fall to the floor, and the vampire was left with a tousled mop of clean untidy hair. Picking up the comb, Sam began to carefully pick out the tangles. He was gentle, having had hours of experience teasing the knots from the hair of his tender-headed little sister, and despite the discomfort of his broken leg stretched out beside him and his twisted back, he was himself enjoying the peaceful time and slowly bringing some order and civility back to the vampire's mane.

x x x

Alucard fought not to slump, but it felt so...good. Abraham had never, ever touched him gently, never saw to his welfare beyond keeping him sound enough to hunt. Lost in their fantasies, the men had caressed him as they used him, but there had never been any real care and it was wrapped up in the discomfort and humiliation of what they were doing to him. He had not been touched gently, cared for...not since... Lucy, really. It had been...more than a year, closer to a year and a half, since he'd had anything like an unaggressive touch. Gently, the comb ran through his hair, scratching at this scalp faintly but pleasantly, again and again and again. It paused, and Alucard lifted his head slightly, peeking to the side, worried. No, scissors...the man was only picking them up. The soft tugging of the comb resumed, stopped, and the scissors snicked. It was so pleasant to have someone taking care of him...no one but his family had done so for centuries. Eyes drooped shut, and he let them, simply enjoying the experience. He refused to worry about what would come after. The man seemed unaggressive, did not smell nor act angry, but why was he caring for a vampire? Was this a sort of seduction? Why seduce when he could simply command? It was puzzling, but the comb in his hair seemed to be pulling fear out along with the tangles, and he relaxed.

x x x

It was done. There was a mess of hair on the towel and floor, but it was done. The vampire looked like a beggar now, not some sort of monster, especially with those red eyes hidden under closed lids. It looked so peaceful that Sam was reluctant to disturb it, but it needed to be done. "I'm done with the hair, vampire. I need you to open the window and throw the hair out of it, and shake out the towel too. Clean up the stray hairs, and return the candle, scissors, and comb to the bathroom." The vampire blinked itself back to awareness, slowly returning to its senses, but a shudder of pain ran across those narrow shoulders. Damn that spell...whatever Abraham had wrapped around the vampire, it was merciless. "Relax, it can wait. It doesn't need to be done immediately, just soon." Bewildered red eyes open and gazed at him, the blankness replaced with a sort of hollow confusion. "If you're ready, go ahead and do so." A sigh. "I'm not even supposed to stand, I'm not about to shake it out myself."

Was that an actual smile? Something ghosted across the creature's lips, then Alucard rose gracefully to push open the window. First the great hanks of black hair flew out, scattered into the tree branches, then smaller bits flying as the vampire gave the towel a vigorous shaking. Bending, Alucard swiped the towel over the wooden floor, collecting more hairs, which were soon floating off on the night breeze. The vampire turned to him, holding up the towel, a questioning look on his face. "There's a hamper by the door. Toss the towel and your old rags in it, the maids will take care of it. The washcloth, too." Before long, all the mess was cleaned up, the scissors and such returned to the bathroom, even the chair returned to its position across the room, and the vampire watched him uncertainly.

x x x

Kindness. It was kindness, the sort he had not experienced in so long he had not recognized it. The man was simply kind, had seen his need and responded. First shelter, then a bath, a bath! and clean clothes...and a haircut... He wanted to stay here, sheltered in this room, but he was clean. Finished. Dreading but expecting it, he waited to be sent out.

"I need a drink after all that. There's a cup in the bathroom, fetch me some water, would you?" A simple request. Not so much an order as simply an acknowledgment that the man was unable to do so himself and needed the assistance. "Wait...I need to use the loo and I hate that damned bedpan. I'm not supposed to stand on the hurt leg at all. Think you can help me to the loo?" Alucard felt a smile stretching his lips. Asked for assistance... treated like a person... trusted to help... He could feel his spirits lifting, and was entirely willing to help.

x x

It was startling to have the vampire suddenly scoop him up as though he weighed no more than a feather. He'd expected a shoulder to lean on as he hopped, but the vampire had other ideas and simply carried him in. With its support, it has a matter of moments before he'd relieved himself, washed his hands, and taken a drink. As soon as the cup was down, he found himself scooped up again and settled onto the bed, all unasked. The vampire leaned over him briefly, and Sam frowned, seeing a tangle swaying down from the hair. He reached up, red eyes following the movement, and ran his fingers through it. No, no tangle, just damp and stuck together, and running his fingers through it again worked it loose entirely.

He was utterly shocked when the vampire responded. He'd thought nothing of running his palm across the edge of the cheek as he separated the hairs, but the vampire had suddenly pressed against his hand, with no warning at all. The edge of his palm touched the cooling cheek, his fingers spread through the hair, and the beast...well...Nuzzled. That was the only word he could think of.

The dreadful monster was cuddling up against his hand, eyes closed, looking perfectly peaceful and innocent.

Sam wanted to find out more, but he'd run himself out of energy. He'd been bedridden for a week, dosed up on laudanum, and the constant pain of his leg alone left him exhausted. Instead, he simply ruffled the beast's hair and moved to stretch himself back out on his bed. To his surprise, the vampire was immediately pulling back covers and helping him into bed.

He wondered if it was some sort of fever dream, as the vampire settled onto the floor by the bed, curled up, leaning on it, head resting on the mattress as those red eyes watched his movements. He had never, ever imagined the beast could be like that, never seen a vampire show any sort of emotion other than hunger, fear, and rage, never considered even for a moment that it might have a softer side.

"I have to sleep. You can stay in here until morning," no, not an option. If the others commanded the beast to come, he'd be forced to leave and go to their sides, no matter how much he did not wish to. "No...you WILL stay here until morning, and you will ignore the others if they call for you." A grin spread the vampire's lips, sharp teeth gleaming out. He should have been worried...but Sam just couldn't, and drifted off to a sleep fueled by laudanum and fatigue.

x x x

Humans...so surprising. He'd only hoped to avoid the abuse, never thought to be treated kindly. Yet here he was...Clean. Clean clothes. Comfortable, the itching, heavy mass of hair gone, and safe until morning. Abraham had been damned well aware that vampires were not solitary creatures. They were aloof, determining their own paths, walking the night alone...but always with a family to return to. Bonds were strong, and permanent. The loss of Lucy and then his Brides had done more damage to him than anything else Abraham had inflicted, and then the months and months of solitary existence. He'd done nothing but try to survive...and then this human, all unasked, had offered him what he craved.

x x x

The men had come to Abraham, complaining that they had been unable to find the vampire for days. He'd called the beast, and it had come, reluctant and skulking, and he'd released it to them with instructions not to bother him over such trivial things. If they could find the vampire, it was theirs to play with, but if it was missing they were expected to find other ways to occupy their time. There was a poker table, a billiards room, a library with magazines and newspapers, a practice range, an art room with a piano, paints, and easel. There was even a grammophone and several cylinders to listen to of music. There were horses in the stable they had permission to ride, a buggy should a few of them choose to go south to London. Abraham was kind about it, but firm. They could have the beast that night, but they were not to bother him about it in the future.

The vampire had somehow found himself a way to clean up, even obtained fresh clothing. They looked fit for the rag-bag, and no one complained of anything missing, so Abraham didn't bother investigating. It had probably raided the laundry and taken them from the rag-bag, and there were plenty of shears there for mending clothes that it could have used on its hair. Even the tubs could explain the bath. He only wondered how the beast had managed to avoid his hotblooded men long enough to do so; the laundry was close to the kitchen and the men regularly raided it for food. In case the vampire had been able to ignore their summons, he'd taken time to reinforce that the vampire was to follow their commands and that if they called it, it was to come to them, but that was all. If it was outsmarting his men, they'd need to learn how to outsmart it. As humans, they were superior and this needed to be reinforced with the vampire by them demonstrating that superiority.

x x x

Sam had worried when his guest had been absent for a few days, and then Alucard had reappeared early one evening, well before the men would expect it to be awake and have started hunting for it. He'd heard them enjoying their sport with the beast a few nights earlier, and surmised that this had led to its withdrawal. Soon enough, though, he'd soothed it. He still hadn't heard Alucard speak, though Abraham had been quite clear that it could. Perhaps its silence was a defense mechanism of sorts. Tonight, though, it had crept in quickly while the evening sky was still painted in reds, looking desperately at him before slipping under his bed. A knock at the door announced the arrival of Tim, coming up to check on him.

"It's good of you to check, but I'm very tired still. I half-wonder if Van Helsing is slipping me a sleeping dose instead of pain medicine!" Sam smiled at Tim; he did like the man, he just didn't approve of how Tim treated the vampire. But with no candle and the dim evening light, plus some blankets pulled carefully to hang over the edge of the bed nearly to the floor, Alucard was safely hidden. "I shall be reading a book," and a wink here, for they both knew that the men had gotten him a stack of magazines featuring plenty of ladies but not much clothing, "and then sleeping. I'll see you at breakfast." With that dismissal, Tim left with a knowing smirk to go find the vampire. Sam expected to be undisturbed until breakfast, when at least two of the men would insist on carrying him down to eat with the group. They were a good bunch, and cared for him like a pack of rowdy brothers. As the floor quieted and the men left to amuse themselves or stalk the missing vampire, said vampire eased out from under the bed.

He'd become accustomed to curling up beside Sam, and to his embarassment Sam had begun treating him almost like a large dog. Alucard seemed to enjoy the petting, and if Sam was distracted by a newspaper and idly petting the beast, would fuss a bit if he stopped. The poor thing must have been incredibly lonely, for he sought out and soaked up any and all attention Sam was willing to give him. And to be honest, he was quite good company, undemanding and thoughtful. There was always a full glass of water by the bed, and without asking the vampire would notice him sweating and go to open the window, or see him shiver slightly and fetch a blanket. It was like having his own personal nurse and Sam felt rather doted upon.

x x

But the third week of his convalescence, Abraham had checked his leg out and announced that he'd be upon crutches within the week, bad break or not. There was no fear of jarring any of the pieces out of alignment, though his shin bone had actually been completely broken in two separate places.

"You'll likely always have a small limp, but I don't see any other problems." Abraham had reassured him, and confirmed that Sam was taking almost no laudanum, only to help him sleep, for the past few days. "Within a week, then, I'll check it again and if I feel a good solid set of knots on that bone, we'll have you up and about on your crutches. It'll be good to have you back with us!" Jovial and good-natured with his men, Abraham was a good doctor and an excellent leader. If it hadn't been for his treatment of Alucard, Sam would have had not a single complaint against the man. Then again, he hadn't known Alucard before the monster was tamed, and it was possible the beast had earned every bit of misery. It was not for him to judge, so he shrugged it off.

Now that he was no longer drugged and had his wits about him, there was an unexpected result. He'd been propped up in bed with multiple pillows, fetched from somewhere by Alucard in the wee hours of the morning a week prior. A table desk was across his lap, and he'd been playing solitaire while blinking red eyes followed the cards and a shaggy black head nestled into his side. Alucard was curled against him, wedged between him and the wall, with the bulk of his body as well as the lap desk shielding him from the door, quietly purring. The vampire had only begun to make any sounds the previous night, and the rusty, squeaky purr had startled him. But as the unused vocal cords warmed up, the purr had steadied. It seemed entirely unconcious on the vampire's part; Alucard had startled as much as he had when the first rumbles were heard! But the rumbling purr prevented either of them from hearing anything until there was a brief rap at the door and it pushed open.

Alucard froze, terrified red eyes fixed on shocked brown ones, silent.

Sam swallowed nervously. "Please...come in...and close the door behind you. There's a key, and I'd appreciate it if you'd lock the door."

x x x

"So this is where he's been hiding." Sam nodded, reaching out to ruffle the ebony hair reassuringly. The soldier that had pushed open the door had wanted to both surprise him as a bit of a silly prank and to play a few hands of cards afterwards. He certainly hadn't expected the vampire to be curled up on the bed next to Sam, but he'd taken it well. And, thankfully, it was one of the few other soldiers that had been reluctant to abuse the vampire. Sam hadn't been the only one it had grated on, but none of them had really discussed it beyond a head shake and a look of distaste. Still, the man hadn't abused the vampire, and that was the only reason the vampire hadn't fled immediately or gone into hiding.

"I'd thought he'd tucked himself into the ductwork or a kitchen oven. I wasn't about to suggest the others look there, but I would never, ever have thought he'd be here with you. How on Earth did you manage this one?"

Laughing, Sam explained. "It wasn't really either of our intentions. He was cornered, and didn't realize this room was occupied and came in to hide. I wasn't inclined to let him be abused, and let him hide. He was filthy, so I cleaned him up and then let him stay the night. He's returned almost every night since." With an affectionate pat, he explained further, "He's really quite a good nurse, and has been very helpful and good company." Jason had several more questions about the vampire's behavior, and had eventually reached out to gently touch him as well. Alucard had initially flinched, but before long, it had become clear that Jason was neither planning to abuse him, nor spill the beans on his location to the others.

The evening concluded with several rounds of cards and the consumption of most of a hip-flask before Jason took his somewhat tipsy leave.

x x x

It was still misery, still slavery, but it was...better. Sam and then Jason were both good to him, and if he couldn't find refuge with one, he could usually hide with the other. Their gentle touches, their consideration of him, the companionship they offered...it helped make the rest bearable when he was unable to avoid the abuse. But what had been near-nightly was now a weekly occurrence at most, though very...enthusiastic. He suspected he'd have broken entirely without the support of his makeshift family, especially when Van Helsing had some new technique or instrument to try on him. But the two of them had given him strict orders to conceal himself from the others, and to come to them to hide when it was safe, and not to go to the others when called. He was expected to be hiding and waiting for a chance to go to them, or to be en route, and it was an incredible, amazing relief to ignore the demands of his abusers and not find himself screaming in pain and then forced to crawl to them anyways. They'd enjoyed calling him, and then going behind some type of barrier such as a closed door, and then watched him scream and thrash. There had been bets on how long it would take him to start shrieking.

That...was over. If they found him, they would take him, but he was able to avoid being found.

And the ducts and the ovens appeared to be excellent hiding places, too. He'd even secreted a bit of wax and cotton away in the ducts and hidden about the kitchen at Jason's suggestion. If he blocked his ears and hummed softly, he would be unable to hear the summons even if Jason and Sam were gone and he would have had to obey!

It should have been infuriating that he was reduced to such a situation. Instead, he found himself bleakly accepting it, unable to conceive of any way out of it and only able to make the best of a bad time. Even so...it was nice to stretch out on the bed near the two men, and watch them play cards in a quiet room, with the occasional gentle and soothing caress. At such times, in such comfort, he could almost forget his dire straights.

The rest of the time, he simply waited for Abraham to die and hoped for a fatal accident on each hunt. 


	3. Chapter 3

I hadn't meant to continue this one, but, yeah. :P And I have a Dr. Trevallian chapter to write and two more stories on unwanted hiatus, too. Argh.

"Rummy!" Laughing, Jason counted out the cards, adding his score to the total with a quiet whoop. Red eyes had watched the entire game, and at the indication of some sort of curiousity, Sam had explained how it worked to the vampire. This last round had taken Jason well past a full hundred points, and he couldn't help but gloat a bit and grin at Sam as he collected the cards. "And here I thought you said you know how to play!"

Grumbling, Sam muttered, "Just letting you get ahead so that my next stunning victory is all the more shocking." Grinning, Jason flicked out seven more cards each, and a new scoring box was set up on the scrap of paper being used as a scorecard.

There was simply no luck in the cards tonight. Sam stared at his hand, frustrated. He'd been building to sixes, and then the six of hearts had been laid down in set of Jason's. He still had two, but the fourth six was still buried somewhere in the deck. A pair of aces, and a king, all of different suits. He drew a four, and reached to pick up the king...only to have a narrow white hand reach over, and a thin pale finger tap on the three of clubs in his hand. Surprised, for Alucard had never participated beyond watching the card games, he moved back to the king...only to have a more authoritative tap on his cards.

Well, the vampire couldn't possibly do worse than he was. With an internal shrug, he tossed the three onto the stack., then looked up to meet Jason's grin. "Well, Sam, looks like you may have a fighting chance with him on your side." A quiet snort from the vampire was the only response, but the red eyes remained fixed on the game. Jason tossed down a queen...of the same set as his king! Sam snapped it up, and Alucard, without pause, tapped a six...and then watched Jason discard the Ace to match his king and queen, or his set of aces! As he leaned to grasp it, a thin white hand wrapped about his wrist, and Alucard shook his head. Instead, Sam drew a nine, and added it to the pile with a nod from Alucard.

And then Jason tossed down a five to match his four...and complete the build to the six...4, 5, 6. With a grin, Sam scooped up the last three cards. Queen, King, Ace...4, 5, 6...it was looking much more promising. "Seems like you know your game!" he praised the vampire, receiving one of the vampire's rare smiles in return. With Alucard assisting, it wasn't long before he was laying out all his cards in books, and laughing as Jason swore and subtracted several face cards of points.

By two more hands of cards, it had become obvious that Alucard was a consummate card-counter with an uncanny ability to remember exactly which cards had been discarded and in which order. Jason and Sam looked at each other, looked down at the vampire, and back at each other...and Sam nodded, tapping the cards back into a smooth deck. "We've got to teach him poker."

Within the hour, they were very glad they had not opted to play for real cash, as Alucard would have cleaned them out. The vampire was still quiet, almost impossible to hear, but he'd spoken for the game. A quiet "hold" or "pass" and the bets were clear, but so very faint that they had to strain their ears to hear it. And a ghost of a smile played on his lips as, by the end of the game, Alucard sat with a pile of chips in front of him and both of the men down to a few shillings' worth!

x x x x

It was difficult sneaking downstairs out of sight of the soldiers, and Alucard longed to be able to simply move there invisibly. However, with the seals in place...he was forced to move physically. At least the soldiers were forbidden from harassing him during the day while he slept and for the first half hour after the sun set. A sleeping vampire could and would react violently to being awakened and Abraham had found it best to simply deny the soldiers access until Alucard was awake and alert. They were also forbidden from being in the basement or playing with the vampire for the last half hour before sunrise; Alucard had been caught out of his coffin, trapped in a room with them, and fallen asleep as the sun rose. Moving him had woken him and nearly gotten Abraham bitten! That half hour each evening assured them that he was awake and vulnerable...but it also gave him time to dodge them if he was sufficiently creative.

The basement reeked of blood and the thick scent of rotten vampiric flesh, as well as the more usual musty decay common in such old buildings. Rats and spiders abounded, and the men were reluctant to enter that domain unless needed even after Alucard's half hour of grace had passed. Unfortunately, Abraham was not reluctant, and the men were the lesser of two evils. Being easily accessible to Abraham too often ended in agony, and Alucard tried to make his escape upstairs as quickly as he could. This morning, though, he would tuck himself into his coffin and sleep, ignoring the ever-present hunger pangs and misery.

Or at least, that's what he thought he'd be doing. It was open. Someone...had come down there, and opened the lid. A stab of worry went through Alucard. Had they damaged it? A sniff...urine. They had urinated on it, in it. His coffin, his home, the last thing he had of his own, his sanctuary, what was always and forever most precious to him...violated. Even Abraham had been careful of it, keeping it intact and undamaged, and using the occasional denial of it as a punishment. Moving closer, he looked inside, cringing as he saw that it was worse than he'd expected.

They'd tossed a few silver coins in it, a handful of bullets...and someone had added a crucifix pendant, half-draped across the damp urine-yellowed fabric. A pair of empty beer bottles had dripped their last remnants and added their own scent to the miasma...at least those he could snatch out and fling to smash into the wall! The rest...

He had nothing in his room, no tools, no tongs, not even a spoon to remove any of it, and nothing to wash his coffin with.

Sinking to his knees in despair, Alucard stared hopelessly at his coffin. Tugging at his mind, the sun crept to the horizon. It rose to shine on a grand home, with beautiful gardens and the scent of baking bread rising from the kitchen, and a forlorn vampire curled hopelessly into the corner of his dank cell.


	4. Chapter 4

I actually had this part done in my mind yesterday but didn't have time to add it to the previous chapter. :)

Clean, he had to clean it.

As the sun set and the vampire's lids lifted heavily from tired red eyes, that was the only thought on his mind. The sheer distress of the desecration of his home had been the last thought as he slept, and before he was even truly awake, it was already at the forefront of his mind. By the time he was fully awake, he'd realized the futility of that desire.

He needed supplies to clean it. Trying to get those supplies meant making himself available to the men...something he desperately wanted to avoid. And it would be for naught, as they would not release him until morning, and there would be no time to clean. Abraham...a shudder ran through his frame. Abraham would, at best, brush him off and tell him that it was no concern of his. At worst, seeing him would remind the man of some new test he wished to run, and the next few days and nights would be spent screaming in the lab. An unconscious whimper forced its way out at that point.

No, he'd go upstairs to Sam, and Jason. A small spark of hope rose at the idea that they could help. No! They were his only sanctuary. If they knew, and attempted to help...he'd be found out, and that safe place would be gone. And they would attempt to help. He didn't know why, but they'd both taken him in and protected him and clearly felt him to be some sort of responsibility. Good men, they'd act on this knowledge, and the others would want to know why...and...no. No good could come of this.

But for tonight, at least, he could spend the time with them. And thanks to Jason, he had a much safer route to their rooms! Dinner first. Always cold, and never enough, but it kept him functional. He suspected it tasted dreadful, but he was always so hungry that he was drooling by the time the bottle was opened and the taste was irrelevant. Abraham left the bottle outside his door shortly before sunset; not even Master wished to chance waking a sleeping monster! Lurching to the door with a last forlorn look at the coffin, Alucard opened it...and paused.

The bottle was still there, yes, but something seemed...wrong. Instincts were warning him. Had Abraham began adding his brew of chemicals and poisons again, testing them on the vampire? But...he was used to hunt, now. Surely Abraham would not risk debilitating him when he was needed? Cautiously lifting the bottle, Alucard retreated into his room to eat...if he could.

It smelled acceptable. No reek of chemicals burned his nose, no acrid scent watered his eyes. It was just blood, human blood, harvested from an employee or a soldier that evening, placed down here for him when he awoke. Perhaps the despoiling of his coffin and his day away from it had made him edgy, suspicious; or, more likely, the reek from it was interfering with his hunger. Even so, he started with a first, cautious sip.

And was very glad he had, as it burned and choked him. Gasping, he heaved, trying to get that poisonous bit out of his stomach, where it burned and festered all out of proportion to the amount consumed! His mouth, his throat...minutes of pain passed as he drooled and choked and spit, clearing out every trace from his system. The damage was surprisingly minor, a slight burn from his lips to his stomach, but only slight. Abraham had inflicted far worse on him before, much worse than a few drops of Holy Water in a sip of blood.

But...Abraham was always there to make certain that he consumed the entire dose of whatever was forced on him. No stern face glared down at him, demanding obedience...No. Abraham hadn't done this, or he'd have been there, pad in hand, recording each effect as the entire bottle was taken in. The men had done this, he was sure of it. As his body slowly healed the damage, he reached the same disheartening conclusion as before. He couldn't tell Abraham; the man was likely, no, it was almost certain, to demand that he drink the rest of the bottle so that the results could be observed. He'd have to hide this from his Master...and so the drain in the corner received the contents of his dinner, and not his hollow stomach. Jason, Sam...they'd complain directly to Abraham themselves, and unwittingly bring this disaster down upon him.

He'd been denied sustenance before. One missed meal would be unpleasant, but he'd manage. Perhaps, over the next few nights, he'd find a solution to the dilemma of his coffin. For now, time was ticking away, and he could faintly hear the shuffling of feet as the men waited at the top of the stairs for him to exit. Abraham would be working in the basement tonight, they knew he'd be coming out, and they were ready, in every sense of the word.

Tonight, thanks to Jason, they'd lose their prey. Leaving his room, Alucard turned away from the stairs, ghosting past the rooms where Abraham and a few other scientists tested the scraps and remnants of former victims, to the furnace room. The furnace was unused at this time of year, and it was a matter of moments to crawl to the top, creep through the door, and begin to make his way upstairs through the walls. He had never been in a home with such a thing as a furnace, had been entirely unaware that such passages existed until Jason mentioned them. The upper floors' ducts were far too small for him, but he could make it to the first floor easily and to the second floor with effort. Then it was a matter of finding an empty room he could exit into, and reaching a set of stairs to go to the third. Easier now than ever, as the men gathered downstairs each night, waiting for him, their eyes no longer looking for him so far upstairs!

Jason and Sam wondered a bit. The vampire was far more quiet tonight than before; had Abraham done something to him? It was none of their business, though; he was Van Helsing's property to use as the man wished. Alucard was uninterested in a card game or board game, and simply curled up on the bed, head close enough to Sam for the occasional pat. For the next few hours, the vampire very uncharacteristically dozed, confirming to the men that Abraham had, indeed, used the beast during the day. Mindful of this, they kept their voices low and let the beast sleep and recover.

Alucard woke from an uneasy shallow slumber near midnight, with a fresh realization bringing a bit of life back into his eyes. He wouldn't be able to do so tonight, no...he'd have to wait until nearly dawn, then rush downstairs. But tomorrow? The ducts allowed access to many rooms. He should be able to gather those supplies to clean with. Tongs, to remove the items. Soap, a brush, rags to soak up the filth. It might take some time to gather them, but he could do so...and then use the ducts to take them back down to the basement. He'd have a short time before sleeping to begin his cleaning, and a few minutes the next night before going into hiding. It would take several days, but, yes...he could make his coffin habitable again!

Sam and Jason were pleased when the vampire finally roused and joined them, fondly ruffling his hair and enjoying the rumbling purr the affection elicited. He still looked tired, but far better than when he'd entered the room! They wouldn't have much more time with him. Sam would be joining the troops in training again in a few nights, and Jason was already leaving a few hours into each night to do so himself. Van Helsing wisely kept them on a relatively nocturnal schedule; their morning was early afternoon, their bedtimes often near dawn. Some sunlight was a healthy and natural requirement, but as the beasts they hunted were active at night, they needed to be accustomed to being awake and active at night.

That meant meeting for training at midnight for a few hours each night. Sometimes, they'd be pulled into lectures and classes for a few additional hours in the evening. Each man was expected to maintain his physical health and fighting abilities, and to consistently improve on them. Lessons in reading and writing were conducted earlier each day, shortly after their tea-time breakfast, for those of the troops that were less than literate. Much of their training came from reading of previous experiences and short treatises on the strengths and weaknesses of creatures. Many times, commands in the field were passed by paper, avoiding as much noise of talking as possible. Abraham had no patience for those that could not read and demanded a basic competency from his men.

As a veteran, Jason was spared most of the lectures and classes, and rarely asked to lead them. With an educated father, he was more literate than many of the others, and had long since read through and understood the required material. Other than a few hours of training each night to maintain himself and increase his ability to coordinate with the others, he had plenty of free time. Sam wasn't far behind him. The man still needed a few more lessons, but his literacy was already acceptable and Van Helsing wouldn't be returning to the subjects of his missed lessons for some time. Instead, he read the notes from the others who'd sat through those lessons...and was done before Alucard woke.

This, and Sam's injury and supposed headaches, had made them available to shelter Alucard for some time. Jason's willingness to keep the "invalid" entertained was appreciated. But..the invalid was nearly ready to join them, at the least on crutches, and to work on target practice and strengthening his leg. Jason wouldn't be expected to be up here anymore, either. They'd be able to offer the beast a few hours of safety each night, but it was doubtful they'd be able to keep him the entire time.

For now, they ruffled his hair, played their card games and a few board games, talked of their families, and sometimes simply read a book. Tonight, Sam found himself smiling fondly at the vampire. Alucard had truly been a bit of a godsend. He'd been so damned BORED, and often so very uncomfortable! The novelty of a pet vampire had done much to relieve the former. The services it had provided, from piles of pillows to assistance to the loo, had relieved much of the latter. The vampire was really a surprisingly gentle creature when not provoked. Why had he never seen that before?


	5. Chapter 5

Warning: this is not a happy chapter. Not at all. Violence, blood, abuse, etc. If you are offended or bothered by such things, please skip the chapter!

It was the third day of no coffin and no food. Gathering his cleaning supplies had been more difficult than he'd expected; the grates over the openings from the ducts were often lit well enough that he could be spied. And, when he had found what he needed, there invariably had been someone in the room or nearby. He'd accumulated some of the things; a bucket, several rags, a rough bar of lye soap. He'd spotted a pair of tongs in the kitchen, and expected to be able to pick them up quickly, but had been thwarted. The other soldiers had begun a nightly round of poker themselves on the big, scarred kitchen table. Giving up, he'd begun searching for another set of tongs or some sort of similar tool to pick up the silver and the crucifix, but the best he could find was fireplace tongs, or perhaps a stick and a large flat dustpan that the pieces could be pushed into. A brush to scrub it with was, as yet, unlocated.

Jason and Sam had been wonderful, but they'd been called off to training now. Sam wasn't able to do any running or marching, but Abraham had him practicing his aim with a crossbow, pistol, spear, and other assorted weapons. Jason was running the obstacle courses with the others, practicing how to spread and surround a target, leading his own small group of men. During their hours of absence, he'd been told to hide himself and ignore the calls of the other men. Some were always in the house; not all trained at once. And they'd been calling him, though the extended period of his absence had reduced the demands. There were four new members, too. They knew he existed, by Abraham had not yet introduced him to them.

Previously, he'd have been summoned by the soldiers the first night new recruits arrived and forced to pleasure them. That was his introduction to them, and Abraham apparently had not yet realized that the new recruits hadn't met him yet. Fine with him. Avoiding the chatter of the men, he pushed and pulled his way through the ducts, moving down to a maid's closet. The duct opened up on the other side of the hallway only a short distance away, and the screwdriver Jason had provided him with would take the cover off easily. The closet on the other side smelled of lye and dust and polish, and he hoped that he'd find his scrub brush and dust pan tonight!

Listening, listening...the men were talking, busy in the kitchen. The metal tabs holding the grate were silently bent down. Stilling himself for a moment, Alucard listened carefully, trying to judge if anyone would be coming his way or able to see him. No, all clear, no sign that the men were finished with their game or anyone was heading down to the kitchen for a snack or drink. Lift, shove, slip out, replace vent (if he was caught, he had no intention of revealing what he'd been doing) and then across the hall to the closet door. If he'd been human, his heart would have been racing. As it was, his hand slipped from the handle from nervousness and weakness before he was able to grasp the knob, turn it, and dart into the dark, enclosed space.

Safe, safe... What did he need, where was it, yes. A veritable bucket of scrub brushes! A soft one, to reduce damage to the delicate aged fabric. A sponge; odd and rough, he'd heard of them but never seen one. The rough yellow surface and compressibility were fascinating, though the smell was only of soap and dirt. He'd take it, yes...a dust pan, too. Good. And a stiffer brush with a nice long handle. He wasn't going to spend any more vulnerable time looking for a tool to push the bullets and such into the dust pan, and the bristles or handle of the brush would work perfectly well. A rush of relief. He had all that he needed; it was time to take the last of these to the basement and, tonight, he could begin to restore his coffin!

A large rag tied the items into a bulky but manageable makeshift bundle. A pause, and a careful listen...was there anyone in the hallway? The door muffled his hearing, and blocked his sight...no, the game still went on in the kitchen. No footsteps or voices sounded in the hallway. This would be the most dangerous time for him. Tired, starved, he was slower, clumsier, less alert. But the vent was less than ten feet away, he'd make it. Bracing himself mentally, he pushed the door open, slipped out, closed it silently behind himself, and darted to the vent.

"OY! THIEF!" Stumbling in shock at the cry, Alucard fell, rolling, then pushed himself up. Who? How? The new recruits...they'd come down the stairs to the kitchen, opened the stairway door as he came out. His luck had been bound to run out, but at least they didn't recognize him as a vampire.

The other soldiers would be out of the kitchen in a moment, and they would.

Pushing himself up the rest of the way, Alucard gathered shaky legs underneath himself, shoved, and raced down the hall. Staircase, he could go down, go hide... No Sam, no Jason, no sanctuary in their room...

But he was slow, and weakened, and tired, and even fear could not propel him fast enough. In direct view of the soldiers, he couldn't resist their orders. Only inches from a stairwell and safety, he found himself forced to stop, then to return to the waiting soldiers, looking for a better game than another round of poker.

The bag of brushes was idly kicked aside as they returned him to the kitchen. The table was a decent height for what they had planned, a more active activity than passively letting the vampire bring them to release. They had quite a bit of stored anger over his ability to avoid them to vent as well, and four newcomers to introduce.

They weren't done with him until nearly sunrise, though the men were fortunately limited to the poker players and the recruits. He was finally released to stagger to his rest, blood running down his inner thighs, nauseated and ill and exhausted. For the first time in days, he'd been "fed" as the new recruits were introduced to the pleasures of a vampire servant, and the unwanted liquid roiled about in his empty stomach.

Exhausted, aching, losing blood he couldn't afford to lose, he collapsed a dozen feet from the door to his cell. His last thought was that Abraham would find him, and he'd be forced to deal with the repercussions of coming to the man's notice as well.


	6. Chapter 6

You know the previous chapter is evil when it takes a full day before anyone is gusty enough to review it... A reviewer for Chapter 4 wondered about how insane people could not be held responsible for their actions. What about an insane vampire? He's not there yet, but it's something to consider for later...

-v-v-

"Get up." Abraham glared down at the recalcitrant beast as it slowly woke. The damn thing had the run of the entire house, with one single rule. During the day, it had to be in its room. And it couldn't even be relied on to do that. The men knew to leave it alone for that last half hour so that it would have time to safely hide itself away to sleep. It had already begun hiding from them during the nights and causing complaints, and now it was rebelling against him in one of the few ways left to it.

Damned beast, if it kept this up, it would be locked away in its room except for missions. Angry, all trace of a smile gone from his normally jovial face, Abraham watched the vampire rise to its feet. It wouldn't even look at him. The vampire knew damn well and good what it had done. A continuation of its previous good behavior had clearly been too much to expect.

"Get in your room. I'll consider feeding you. Stay there until I say you can leave." Turning, too angry to even look at the beast, Abraham strode down the hall. Sleeping vampires were incredibly dangerous. They were difficult to wake, but some scientist tripping over it in the dimly-lit basement could have done that, and the consequences would likely have been fatal. Punishing a vampire for what it did when it was reacting entirely on instinct and not even awake was a waste of effort; no matter how he'd beaten the vampire, its reactions upon waking were consistent and violent. He'd written it off as an instinctive self-defense measure, and simply incorporated household rules to prevent that instinct from killing anyone. Having that same vampire deciding to sleep in the hallway, only a few feet from its own door...that bastard. It was sheer luck no one had died. If the men wouldn't have complained so much, he'd have locked it up downstairs long ago. There job was dangerous and stressful, and he wasn't about to deprive them of something that was essentially harmless and in which they found such enjoyment.

It wasn't until he'd gotten all the way upstairs that Abraham realized he still had the vampire's bottle of blood clenched in his fist. He'd meant to leave it in a downstairs room. Easily enough remedied. Moving into the kitchen, he spied James, finished with "breakfast" and rinsing a dish in the sink.

"James, would you mind taking this downstairs? It needs to be placed just outside Alucard's door." An apologetic smile. "I know you don't like going down there, but I'm mad enough at it that I didn't even notice I'd brought this up here and would prefer not to see that vampire again for a bit!"

Laughing, James took the bottle. "Not a problem. We introduced the new recruits to the vampire last night. I take it he's causing problems about it?"

"You could say that. Damn beast. It's not hurting him in the slightest and you'd think he'd be grateful for a bit of extra food, but no. I keep him half-starved and he would still come to me, complaining." A sigh. "Just...take that down for me, would you? I'm going to head out and work on upgrading the obstacle course." At James's groan, Abraham grinned widely. "It seems that it's become a little too familiar and easy for the men. Time to switch things up a bit." His grin got wider at the look on James's face as he headed out the kitchen and out to the course. There were a few additions he planned to pull out and install tonight...

-v-v-

James eyed the bottle in his hand and grinned. Tim and Frank would want to see this. They'd been putting a few drops of Holy Water in the blood for the last few nights and the vampire hadn't seemed to even notice. Tonight, they'd add those drops in front of the beast, and see how it reacted. They'd wanted to do it in front of the monster from the start. Frank had expected to get some sort of reaction from the normally emotionless beast, but between the ironclad rules Van Helsing had put down and the timing, they'd been unable to do more than add a few drops to the bottle in the hallway before having to return to the upstairs. Trotting down the hall to the the billiards room, he had a bounce to his step as he anticipated the whining the vampire would do!

"Oh Frrrraaaaank..." Frank was bent over the billiard table, in the midst of a game with a few others, including Tim. "Look what IIIII have..."

-v-v-

So tired, he was so tired. Alucard eyed his coffin, wanting, needing to lie in it. Had it been only urine, he'd have been asleep in it, regardless of the filth and stench. Even Abraham hadn't kept him away from it more than three days. And hungry. Abraham kept him on the edge of starvation, knowing that it made the threat of a withheld meal all the more effective. And after the damage of last night, and the healing...he was starved, so hungry. Sam...Jason...he wanted to go upstairs to them so badly...but...he'd bite them. He was simply too hungry, too tired, to control himself and to think clearly. With those two steadily beating hearts beside him...he'd bite, seal or no.

And Abraham would beat him mercilessly. The punishment would no doubt be bad enough that his current predicament would look like a reward! He'd already seen what Van Helsing could and would do to him out of nothing but curiousity. The thought of what his Master would do to him if he angered Abraham... Alucard moaned to himself in fear. If he wasn't fed tonight...tomorrow. If he could drink it...he could not leave the basement though. Tonight, he was trapped. And Abraham was angry.

He'd have been shaking with fear if he wasn't so exhausted. Curled up by the door, he could only wait, hoping that he would be fed, fearing that he'd find himself back on the lab table. So tired, his need to sleep fought with fear and hunger, combining to leave him staring dully at the door.

Footsteps...three pairs. The scientists...he'd be back on the table. The flash of instinctive hunger at an approaching human's steps vanished in a chill. Resigned, he only waited to be called out.

"Vampire...we brought you something, vampire. Come out, come out, we've got your bloooood..." A malicious sing-song, not Abraham, not the humorless scientists, but soldiers. He would have hidden, stayed away, but...blood. Food. His mouth flooded with drool, and red eyes fixed on the door.

It opened, showing three men. He almost attacked then and there, lost in a bloodhaze as the scent hit him. Abraham...no...wait, wait. The bottle...a whine forced itself from his throat, almost a growl. Beg...would they make him beg? He'd grovel all they wanted if they would just put the bottle down!

And then, with a grin, Frank pulled out a small silver flask, and tipped it into the blood. One, two, three, four...clear drops, they fell into it, fouling it... The Holy Water.

Rage, desperation, starvation, the madness of exhaustion and fear and pain...

-v-v-

Alucard was first aware of the taste. Blood...sucking it down, getting as much as he could before this, too, was taken from him, he reveled in the feeling of a full stomach. Dazed from the rush of blood into his starved system, he couldn't piece together what had happened. Was Master finally feeding him? No, warm, warm, fresh, a moan of pleasure. Instinctively, his jaws worked, tearing deeper and wider, encouraging the flow of blood as it faltered. No, no! More, he still needed more, and Alucard tore and sucked and worried at it, trying to get every last drop.

Drop...of what? This...this was a human. How was he eating a human? Thoughts forced themselves past the blind instinct he'd been operating on, and red eyes opened. He was holding a body down, pinning it under him and against the floor. The face was not visible, and he was reluctant to release the neck while any additional blood could be obtained. How? Who? The enraged shout of Abraham above him, echoing down the stairs and through the basement, told him that he had not been fed the body. Whimpering, still acting mostly on clouded instinct, he pulled the body through the door and into his room. The movement pushed another, weak rush of blood into his mouth...and then no more. Pulling back, he stared at the body, confusion and puzzlement warring in his mind. Frank, this had been Frank.

As Abraham pounded down the stairs, the sound of his gun being loaded with silver bullets was horribly audible, Alucard withdrew from the empty corpse. The gun... Alucard would recognize that dull click anywhere, having been shot with the gun as punishment more times than he cared to remember.

He'd killed a soldier, had drunk the man dry, was even now licking the last traces of blood from his mouth as the ravaged corpse sprawled under him. Abraham would be furious. And there was nothing he could do to mitigate that rage.

The door pushed open to spread light across the shredded corpse...and then released light to cross the cell and illuminate the huddled form of the vampire in the corner, silently awaiting its punishment.  



	7. Chapter 7

Gotta stop for a bit and fix up lunch. Thank you all for the reviews, even if everyone was a bit reluctant to review chapter 5...with reason :D It's probably half done or so, hoping to get it knocked out and out of my head today!

-v-v-

Two of his men had come running to him, panicking, yelling something about the vampire and Frank. Abraham had dropped everything and sprinted for the house, pulling his gun from his pocket and loading it as he ran. He insisted that all soldiers be armed at all times, but after a few incidences, had required holsters or that the guns be unloaded, but the bullets close by.

He was regretting that now, trying to make it down the basement steps in the dim light of a few flickering gaslamps while simultaneously shoving blessed silver bullets into the chambers of the gun.

Turning the corner to the hallway with the vampire's cell, he realized that his haste had been for nothing. There were two feet still extending from the dark doorway into the hallway, and they weren't moving. Instead, they slumped with the boneless finality of death. Dead or dying, he was too late...and so he took a moment to spin up the gas light from a dim flicker to a brighter flame. Under the illumination of the wall sconce, he could see much more clearly...and there was no blood.

What was happening?

Pushing open the door, he was greeted by the site of one of his own men staring glassily at the ceiling, clearly dead, throat shredded. In the gaping formlessness of death's touch on the face, it took him a chill moment to realize that it was Frank. His vampire had murdered the man...and from the lack of blood nearby, had eaten him, too. How had the vampire managed to do that? He had it so restrained and restricted it shouldn't even have been able to attempt to attack!

He should have paid more attention when it began to act out, began to be disobedient. He'd seen the warning signs, and hadn't responded fast enough, and now Frank had died. The beast responsible slumped in the far corner, legs stretched out flat, arms limp at its side, hands lying carelessly on the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. The head drooped, and a dull red gaze remained fixed on the knees. It seemed oblivious to what it had done, and in anger, Abraham fired off a half-dozen bullets. He was in control enough to miss the head and the heart, but the mouth of the beast gaped wide in shocked surprise and pain before it toppled over.

Light, light, even with the door open it was too blasted dark. There were a pair of gas lamps in here too, though almost never used. Flicking them to life and then turning them to brightness, the horror of Frank's shredded corpse became glaring, viciously clear. He'd have to deal with this...it would be ghouling soon if he did not. Another set of bullets clicked into the gun, and a careful aim placed one in the head, and one in the heart. Not a moment too soon, for the body was already taking on the grayish cast of the ghoul though it had been dead only a few minutes at most. Faster than he'd ever seen a corpse ghoul before... But irrelevant. He was locking the damn beast up until he'd gotten it back under control.

Striding to the corner where his vampire lay bleeding on the floor, Abraham grabbed it by the hair and ruthlessly pulled it to the coffin. And stopped. There was something in the coffin...several somethings. Had Aluca...no. It was silver. And, barely detectable above the overwhelming scents of blood and death and rot, there was urine.

How long had the damned beast been without rest? It was disoriented after only three days, and Abraham had never stretched it past four, no matter how weakened he wanted the vampire. A disoriented, senseless vampire was less effectively contained, unable to comprehend what it was told and operating on a very instinctual level. What fool had done this? And...come to think of it...why had Frank been down there at all? James had been given the blood to deliver.

Frowning, he reached down and quickly flicked the bits of silver and the crucifix out of the coffin, then unceremoniously dumped the inert vampire in as well. Pulling the lid shut, he added the wild rose branch always kept by the coffin for this purpose; for some unknown reason, placing it on the coffin made it difficult for the beast to leave. He'd chain it shut later, after it was cleaned. The vampire would have been furious at this damage; threatening the coffin had not made it willing to behave with that hostage at risk, but had instead driven Alucard to rage and aborted lunges and snarling snaps as the vampire tried to reach him! He'd spent a day out of the coffin, in the hallway...and if he'd returned to find the coffin desecrated, no wonder he'd successfully attacked!

And yet, returning to the corpse, he wasn't finding the vindictive destruction he'd expected. Poor Frank was nearly unmarked except for the throat itself. No slashes, no other bites, no broken limbs, nothing. It hadn't been anger, then...this was the result of a hungry vampire taking prey.

A puzzle, and one he'd be sorting out soon. He hated to ask James and Tim what had happened with that catastrophe and the violent death of their friend so close, but it was necessary. If Alucard was breaking free of the restrictions, he had to know. What had triggered the attack...and would it be repeated? 


	8. Chapter 8

DONE! Whew. Got it finished and out of my mind. :)

The soldiers had gathered in the hall at the top of the stairs, waiting in warring fear and confidence for Abraham to deal with the monster. It was almost too much to comprehend. Their toy had done this? It hadn't even growled, had only hidden and crept. Yet Frank was dead; even if the vampire hadn't killed him outright, he was doomed as a ghoul. Tim and James were shaking alongside them; brave enough that, though they'd seen Frank murdered in front of them, they'd returned to fight the beast.

Or to welcome Abraham. No one was certain, anymore, what or who would be coming up the stairs.

The entire group sagged with relief when Abraham's graying head was seen coming up the stairs, alone, and unghouled. His steady gaze gathered the men in, and his steady voice reassured them.

"Alucard is contained. Frank was bitten, and I prevented the ghouling. I need everyone in the large training room, immediately. Please gather anyone that may be elsewhere on the estate and join me. I need to know if there have been any behavior changes or alterations in the vampire that allowed this travesty to occur."

-v-v-

The men gathered, uncomfortably crowded. It was a large room, but not large enough for all of them at once, and tense shoulders rubbed as they waited on the benches for their leader to arrive. It wasn't long at all; the last two stragglers, who had been out on the obstacle course itself, entered directly before Abraham and before the restless concern could devolve into fear. Abraham took his place behind the small podium, more stern and solemn than they'd seen him.

"Tonight, we have had a tragedy. The vampire, which I assured you was harmless, was nonetheless able to kill one of our members. There is no weaking of his controls, no breaking of his seals. He is harmless. Yet...Frank is dead. I have called you here to determine what has occurred. If the vampire is unsafe, I will have him put down. If he is safe, then I need your assistance to determine how he was able to kill a soldier in my own home.

My first concern is his coffin. It was unusable to him, and I need to know how long. The length of time a vampire is out of his coffin can determine greatly how the controls are able to affect it. I know that today, he did not sleep in it; I found him in the hallway outside the room. I assure you that I am far more concerned about how long he was away from it than who made it unavailable. Who knows?"

The gentle, firm voice and its pure honesty and concern drove hands into the air, as, like naughty schoolchildren confessing to a beloved teacher, they spoke. Tim was first, guilt written across his open face.

"It was Saturday night. We couldn't find the vampire anywhere, and we were mad. Drinking, too, and too much. We went down there looking for him, and couldn't find him. I supposed it was the alcohol, but I can't make any excuse...I needed to relieve myself, and the coffin was there, and, well, I used it. So did the men with me. We were laughing...and said we ought to pay for the damages. I don't know who, but someone tossed in a few coins. And there were some bullets tossed in, I honestly don't know why." Tim looked embarrassed. "We just went upstairs then, and truth be told, I didn't think any more of it. If I had, I would have just thought he'd have emptied his coffin."

Abraham's eyes closed as the impact of that statement hit him. Saturday. That was...five days of deprivation, including today, when it had been in the hallway. "That...explains a great deal. I would have expected him to be far less coherent; he obeyed me without any problems earlier. What other changes have there been?"

Jason and Sam stood together, and after a pause, Sam stepped forth, crutches supporting him as he made himself visible to his leader. "He's...been staying with us at night until I was able to get back into my job. Even so, he's come up each night and napped for an hour or two. He'd never done that before, not fallen asleep. It wasn't real sleep, he was just dozing a bit and would wake up if one of us moved, but it wasn't normal. We didn't think there was anything wrong, we just let him sleep until it was time to train."

This was...unexpected, entirely. "Staying with you? Who is "you"? And how did this happen?"

"Err...Myself...and Jason." Jason nodded, admitting his own role silently. "When I was laid up and hurting, the vampire came into my room to hide, not knowing I was there. I sent him to hide under my bed, then had him clean himself up. He turned out to be very helpful, too, in helping me get to the loo and such. After that, he'd come every night and stay with me. He'd fetch water, covers, pillows, open a window, whatever I needed and usually before I asked, and he'd curl up with me and watch whatever I did. I had my own private nurse."

Jason took over then. "I found out about it several days later when I came into the room unannounced to find Sam playing solitaire and that vampire curled up next to him, purring like some oversized cat. Took me a bit to get over the shock of it, and then whenever I came to keep Sam company, Alucard'd be there. He was never any problem, never aggressive."

Entirely curious. Vampires could purr? And why on Earth would the monster want to associate with humans? What was he doing? "What was he doing when he was with you?"

Every eye in the room fixed on Sam and Jason, and a few crude remarks indicated what they thought the vampire had been doing...

"He watches us play cards, mostly. We taught him Rummy and Poker, then Bridge and a few others. We also had him play a few games with us, but it wasn't really a fair game and he was happy enough just watching. That's all. And then he started dozing this last week. We'd go to training, and then I'm not sure what he did then."

Abraham himself was fairly sure what the vampire had done then. He'd seen the bucket and rags downstairs, and the bar of soap. Alucard had been trying to clean his coffin...probably not an easy task with the men watching out for him. It would have been simpler if the vampire had just come to him for assistance, but it avoided him even more than his soldiers. Something Jason said had caught his mind, though. "What do you mean, wasn't a fair game?"

"Well, Sir...he can count cards like nobody's business. Once he learned a game, we got real tired of losing to him, badly. He never said much but I think he was bored, frustrated a bit, playing against us once the novelty wore off. He just wanted to curl up on the bed and watch us. I don't think we got more than a dozen words out of him that weren't bids in a poker game!"

The vampire played cards? Amazing. Well, this at least solved the mystery of where he'd been hiding. And if he'd been able to doze a bit, even outside his coffin, it might have helped the beast cope with the lack.

"I'll likely have more questions for you in private later. For now, that does answer my question of how the vampire was still functional after so many days out of his coffin. There was another concern, too. What triggered the attack? Why was Frank down there at all?" Abraham nearly mentioned that the man was only drained, not shredded...but it would possibly be even worse to know that Frank's blood had gone down that monster's gullet. "James? Tim?"

James looked incredibly shamefaced as he admitted his role in the situation. "I went and got Tim and Frank so's they could watch what the vampire did. We honestly only thought he'd whine." James's eye closed and he shuddered, briefly unable to speak. "We'd been putting Holy Water in the blood, a few drops each night. The vampire didn't react, just drank it down. So I got 'em and we went down and Frank held up the bottle and put a bit of Holy Water in it...and then Alucard went for 'im."

Abraham could only stare at them. The vampire was fed just barely enough as it was. And it certainly wasn't drinking blood with Holy Water in it, though he wasn't sure what the beast had been doing with the blood. The empty bottle waited at the door each night...though...come to think of it, they had blood in them. Normally the vampire wiped and sucked out every possible drop, but these had still had blood about the rim and within reach of the opening. Starved and without a coffin for five days. He'd never have thought the beast would have made it past three without someone dying.

"I assure you, he was not drinking it. This explains a great deal, and the result was predictable, though it's cost us a friend and comrade. I hope that this was all...but...what else has happened?"

This time it was the new recruits, all four, that stepped forward, all a bit ashamed of themselves. They'd barely known Frank, had not yet fought with any of the soldiers, and until the previous morning had not even met a vampire. What could they contribute? Curious, but dreading what other foolish, suicidal behavior his soldiers would confess to, Van Helsing motioned for them to speak.

"We were...introduced...to the vampire yesterday." Red flamed through the young man's face. "They said that was just normal and the vampire didn't fight it or anything, honest, we just...enjoyed. And then...well...the older soldiers said they were going to teach that vampire what would happen if it didn't take care of them properly, and...they pulled its pants off, bent it over the kitchen table. They said it was a vampire, this couldn't actually hurt it, but...it was crying, and...there was blood on it afterwards, lots of it. I don't know, myself, if that was just it playing for sympathy or if it was actually hurt. But the sun was coming up and we just pulled its pants on it and shoved it out the kitchen and off to the basement."

Embarrassed by his confession, the young man hung his head, and the last few pieces clicked in Abraham's mind. Not just starved. Not just delirious from exhaustion. But injured, too. The vampire shouldn't have bled; any little tears from the men's enthusiasm should have healed right up. No blood, though, and the side effects of some of his experiments...Alucard wouldn't have healed up like they'd expected. And if the sun was coming up? They'd already kept the beast up far too long. It sounded as though it should have been asleep in the basement before they'd even released it. Alucard wasn't out in the corridor out of disobedience; likely, he hadn't been able to even make it to his room.

And he was a fool. He should have paid more attention when he found the vampire. The signs of starvation and exhaustion should have been obvious, but he hadn't really even looked at the beast, just reprimanded it, threatened it, and commanded it. A little more attention from him, and this could all have been prevented. Frank's blood was on his hands as much as on the vampire's claws.

"I see. Is there anything else?" Seconds ticked by as his gaze scanned the room, calling on anyone to add anything else to his knowledge. Feet shuffled, but no one did.

"The vampire, no matter the provocation, did kill one of my soldiers and he will be punished. However...I am no longer concerned that he managed to slip his leash to do this. The commands he's given have no effect when he's unconcious. I've barred you from the basement when he is likely to be asleep for a reason. Unfortunately, the lack of access to his coffin creates an instability in him after a few days. After five days, I've no doubt he was delirious or nearly so. And he wasn't drinking that blood, either, so he was starving. When starved and exhausted, he's weakened. Easy to injure, and he can't heal well. Using him roughly would have exacerbated this. Starved, delirious, with the scent of blood from the bottle, and then seeing the blood destroyed with the Holy Water...he wasn't conscious of his actions when he attacked Frank. He wasn't escaping the seals or the restrictions. We can rest assured on that aspect of this catastrophe. As long as he is not starved or exhausted again, this will not happen a second time."

Stern eyes swept the men. "I regret that we had to lose our brother in this way. I never wish for this to happen again. Alucard will be punished, but it is imperative that he have rest and sustenance. Any interference with his coffin or his blood could do this. And...it is only by the grace of God Himself that everyone in the kitchen that morning did not die. The sun was nearly up, was it not? He was starved, exhausted, injured, unable to get below ground to safety...My dear God. I could have lost you all." The tears in Abraham's eyes were genuine, and the men shuffled, embarassed at their behavior. They would still mourn the loss of their friend and brother-in-arms, but they would also be taking responsibility for their actions.

The vampire would be punished, too. The attack was not its fault, but it had allowed itself to be placed in that predicament, then failed to alert him to the problems.

-v-v-

A few days of rest in its coffin revived the beast, and a bottle of blood helped heal the rest of the damage from the bullets. Another night of recovery, while it sudsed and cleaned and blotted and restored its sleeping place. But the next day, it was not to find rest in it.

Abraham had chained the vampire to the east wall of the estate, something he had not been forced to do since the first month of the vampire's residency. The sun would not kill the vampire, but it was unpleasant, and Alucard would cry and wail to escape it. Enough time in the sun, and the beast would burn, blistering and blackened, eyes melting, body shriveling. He'd done that to the beast twice before, and it had taken days of recovery in its coffin and plenty of blood before it had healed. Dissections after it was brought in had revealed that the damage extended bone-deep in much of its body, and that even the surface of the heart had hardened and cooked. Only the parts facing the wall had been relatively undamaged.

They'd need the vampire to hunt before the week was out. By noon, Abraham would have drug it back inside to its coffin. But a few hours of sun was nowhere near enough punishment. As the vampire shook in fear, teeth clenched on the bit that gagged it, eyes wide and staring at the brightening horizon in horror, Abraham loosened his whip. A quick wipe wet the length with Holy Water, for mere leather or metal would do no more than sting, and as the sun rose and the vampire's first muffled keen joined it, the whip slashed across the beast's belly.

The front was red, dripping, from scalp to toes, crossed and recrossed and crossed again with stripes from the whip. Alucard had long since stopped fighting, merely hanging dully from his restraints, barely twitching as the whip fell. Wiping the whip clean of the foul blood, Abraham nodded to himself, and motioned the watching men back inside.

-v-v-

At noon, the vampire's punishment ended. Jason joined him, silently unlocking the shackles from the swollen, blackened limbs and carrying the dead weight of the vampire back into the cool basement. As the vampire's body slipped into the coffin, Abraham caught a look at the grim, sad expression on Jason's face.

"Look, lad...I know you cared for the creature, though I'm still unsure how you got that behavior from it. But...it's a monster, a killer. Before I captured him, he'd murdered an entire crew on a ship, the fiance of a friend, and an American I'd grown to consider nearly a brother. He's evil, Jason, no matter how he seemed to you. And he considers humans prey. Even so, knowing that he was starving and exhausted and that it would likely culminate in the death of one of the men, he said nothing to me. Gave no indication to you and Sam, either, that there was a problem...not until poor Frank was dead. He's gotten no more than he deserved, and I pray only that it prevents him from murdering another of our fellows."

Abraham slung an arm about Jason's shoulders, holding the man tight until an accepting nod was given.

Jason followed Abraham up the stairs. The man was right. Alucard was a monster, evil, and the vampire had known that the men were at risk from its condition. And it hadn't said a word, not to him nor Sam. It had chosen to kill Frank instead. Frank, the clown and wit of the group, the man that had patiently worked with him hour after hour until he could manage his weapons and make it over the course. He'd been a good man, and had turned out as nothing more than food for a monster.

No, there was a softer side to the monster. He and Sam had both seen it. But it was a softer side...on a monster. And they could never, ever forget that fact, not for a moment.


End file.
